The Harvest

Fall is one of the most wonderful times of year! Crisp morning walks, warm afternoon sunshine, brilliant fall trees, carving pumpkins, sipping ciders, and turning on the oven to bake a little more again! And.... we get to rake up all those leaves that swirl in the corners of our property and put on the gloves and climb the ladder to clean out those gutters!! 

 

Yep. The beautiful tree-lined street has given way to dropping those leaves, adding more jobs to our honey do list. Even as I type, I can hear my fellow Iowans... "Sure, but it's better than scooping snow!" 

I've found that every growth in our lives produces a harvest AND a responsibility. 

It is easy to love the fruit of the harvest. The fruit is rewarding and energizing. It overflows with promise, as it not only feeds us and those around us; it also provides the seed for the next season of growth.

The harvest is also a lot of work. It takes time and energy to get the fruit and manage it accordingly. It's cleaning up what's left behind and preparing the soil for a season of rest and the next growing season ahead. 

So it is with our lives, the people we love, and the people we lead. We can't let the adrenaline of harvesting the fruit overtake the responsibility to clean up what's left behind and then to prepare the heart, mind, and body for a season of rest and the next growth season. 

It's so easy to be overtaken with short-term results that we miss the long, steady work of growth in our lives. 

My daughter Natalie is growing as a high school student this year. She is putting her best effort in and yet worrying if it is enough. Yes it is, my child. One step at a time. Go to bed and sleep. We'll wake up tomorrow and do our best again. 

Living our best lives is filled with growth, clean up, rest, and preparations. We do it all over and over again. Let's not short-circuit our lives with short-term results. Living in sync is about rhythm and harvesting the best results long-term. Let's embrace what is happening - put our energy into where it needs to be and allow for rest after the hard work is done.